Schedule

Saturday August 12, 2023

• 
  Event | lectures and symposia Body Count: Talking About Crime in Our Age of Reckoning with Rebecca Makkai and Sarah Weinman

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 9:30 am - 10:30 am EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, West Salon GHI (Street Level, South Building)

  Which crime victims’ stories get told, retold and obsessed over? What if crime media were instead a catalyst for social change? Rebecca Makkai’s novel “I Have Some Questions for You” examines a fictional, distant murder. Sarah Weinman’s anthology “Evidence of Things Seen” features 14 essays about true crimes and asks readers to think about what justice looks like. Moderated by novelist Angie Kim.

  Watch the event recording

  • Stage: Understanding Stage
  • Event Type(s): Author Presentations, Panels
  • Genre(s): Fiction, General Nonfiction, History, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Nonfiction, Social Justice, Thriller
• 
  Event | lectures and symposia On "The Lincoln Highway": Historical Fiction with Amor Towles

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 9:30 am - 10:15 am EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Ballroom A (Level 3, South Building)

  Amor Towles’ latest novel, “The Lincoln Highway,” is a classic American road novel but within that narrative framework, it continually surprises. It’s about 18-year-old Emmett Watson, who has to get to nowhere in particular, fast, after his father dies and the bank forecloses on their Nebraska farm. Towles is in conversation with Crosby Kemper, the director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

  Watch the event recording

  • Stage: Inspiration Stage
  • Event Type(s): Author Presentations
  • Genre(s): Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
• 
  Event | special events Amor Towles Book Signing

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 10:30 am - 11:30 am EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)

  Amor Towles signs "The Lincoln Highway: A Novel" in book signing line 5.

  • Event Type(s): Book Signings
  • Genre(s): Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
• 
  Event | special events Rebecca Makkai Book Signing

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)

  Rebecca Makkai signs "I Have Some Questions for You: A Novel" in book signing line 7.

  • Event Type(s): Book Signings
  • Genre(s): Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
• 
  Event | lectures and symposia Why Fiction Matters with Jesmyn Ward, 2022 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction Winner

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, West Salon GHI (Street Level, South Building)

  Join us in an exclusive event with 2022 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction winner Jesmyn Ward and Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. In this thought-provoking conversation, Ward discusses the power and importance of fiction writing. Ward is also the recipient of the National Book Award for fiction for her novels “Salvage the Bones” and “Sing, Unburied, Sing.”

  Watch the event recording

  • Stage: Understanding Stage
  • Event Type(s): Author Presentations
  • Genre(s): Black and African American, Fiction, Literary Fiction
• 
  Event | special events Jesmyn Ward Book Signing

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)

  Jesmyn Ward signs "Sing, Unburied, Sing: A Novel" in book signing line 11.

  • Event Type(s): Book Signings
  • Genre(s): Black and African American, Fiction, Literary Fiction
• 
  Event | lectures and symposia The Family You Need, the Family You Create: Literary Fiction with Esmeralda Santiago and Luis Alberto Urrea

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Ballroom A (Level 3, South Building)

  What makes someone family? Join Esmeralda Santiago and Luis Alberto Urrea as they discuss their new novels, “Las Madres” (Santiago) and “Good Night, Irene” (Urrea). Santiago’s novel follows Marysol as she seeks to understand her mother’s past; Urrea’s novel transports us to World War II in a story highlighting women’s heroism during the era. Moderated by The Washington Post’s Maria Sacchetti.

  Watch the event recording

  • Stage: Inspiration Stage
  • Event Type(s): Author Presentations, Book Launches, Panels
  • Genre(s): Caribbean, Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mexican
• 
  Event | lectures and symposia Alone with a Secret: Novels That Provoke and Reveal with Victor LaValle and Kevin Wilson

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, West Salon GHI (Street Level, South Building)

  Everyone has a dark secret…and then there are really dark secrets. Victor LaValle’s novel “Lone Women” follows a young woman who’s haunted by a secret sin that could burn many people. In Kevin Wilson’s “Now Is Not the Time to Panic,” a young woman’s life may fall apart due to a life-altering secret from her past. Moderated by The Washington Post’s John Williams.

  Watch the event recording

  • Stage: Understanding Stage
  • Event Type(s): Author Presentations, Panels
  • Genre(s): Black and African American, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
• 
  Event | lectures and symposia Elizabeth Acevedo on Her New Novel “Family Lore”

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 3:45 pm - 4:30 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 202 (Level 2, South Building)

  What happens when someone who can predict the exact day of someone’s death hosts their own wake? Join Elizabeth Acevedo as she discusses her debut adult novel, “Family Lore,” in conversation with former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jason Reynolds. The novel follows the stories that define the lives of the maternal members of a single family as their secrets begin to unravel.

  Watch the event recording

  • Stage: Curiosity Stage
  • Event Type(s): Author Presentations, Book Launches
  • Genre(s): Caribbean, Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Literary Fiction
• 
  Event | lectures and symposia Animals Talk to Me: Narrators From the Wild with Henry Hoke and Shelby Van Pelt

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, West Salon GHI (Street Level, South Building)

  For us to see ourselves clearly, sometimes we need to hear from outside observers—as in, outside our species. Shelby Van Pelt’s “Remarkably Bright Creatures” follows the unlikely connection between a grieving woman and a giant octopus, while Henry Hoke’s “Open Throat” is narrated by a queer mountain lion navigating the hills and people of Los Angeles. Moderated by Kirkus Reviews’ Megan Labrise.

  Watch the event recording

  • Stage: Understanding Stage
  • Event Type(s): Author Presentations, Panels
  • Genre(s): Debut, Fiction, LGBTQ+, Literary Fiction, Nature
• 
  Event | special events Esmeralda Santiago Book Signing

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)

  Esmeralda Santiago signs "Las Madres: A Novel" in book signing line 11.

  • Event Type(s): Book Launches, Book Signings
  • Genre(s): Caribbean, Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Literary Fiction
• 
  Event | special events Kevin Wilson Book Signing

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)

  Kevin Wilson signs "Now Is Not the Time to Panic: A Novel" in book signing line 14.

  • Event Type(s): Book Signings
  • Genre(s): Fiction, Literary Fiction
• 
  Event | special events Luis Alberto Urrea Book Signing

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)

  Luis Alberto Urrea signs "Good Night, Irene: A Novel" in book signing line 12.

  • Event Type(s): Book Signings
  • Genre(s): Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mexican
• 
  Event | special events Victor LaValle Book Signing

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)

  Victor LaValle signs "Lone Women: A Novel" in book signing line 13.

  • Event Type(s): Book Signings
  • Genre(s): Black and African American, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
• 
  Event | special events Elizabeth Acevedo Book Signing

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)

  Elizabeth Acevedo signs "Family Lore: A Novel" in book signing line 8.

  • Event Type(s): Book Launches, Book Signings
  • Genre(s): Caribbean, Family, Fiction, Hispanic, Literary Fiction
• 
  Event | lectures and symposia 2023 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction Winner George Saunders

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 5:15 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Ballroom A (Level 3, South Building)

  2023 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction winner George Saunders discusses his writing life during this event, from his beloved novel “Lincoln in the Bardo” to his story collections such as “Tenth of December” and “Liberation Day.” Moderated by Clay Smith.

  Watch the event recording

  • Stage: Inspiration Stage
  • Event Type(s): Author Presentations
  • Genre(s): Fiction, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction
• 
  Event | concerts and performances Literature to Life Presents a Performance From F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby"

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 5:45 pm - 6:30 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 202 (Level 2, South Building)

  Join us for a performance of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” presented by the literary nonprofit Literature to Life, whose actors and teaching artists immerse an audience in a book and vividly bring it to life. One actor will tell the story, performing all the characters for a community of book lovers.

  Watch the event recording

  • Stage: Curiosity Stage
  • Event Type(s): Special Programs
  • Genre(s): Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Romance
• 
  Event | special events Henry Hoke Book Signing

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)

  Henry Hoke signs "Open Throat: A Novel" in book signing line 11.

  • Event Type(s): Book Signings
  • Genre(s): Fiction, LGBTQ+, Literary Fiction, Nature
• 
  Event | special events Shelby Van Pelt Book Signing

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)

  Shelby Van Pelt signs "Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Novel" in book signing line 12.

  • Event Type(s): Book Signings
  • Genre(s): Debut, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Nature
• 
  Event | special events George Saunders Book Signing

  • Saturday, August 12, 2023 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm EDT
  • Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall DE (Level 2, North Building)

  George Saunders signs "Liberation Day: Stories" in book signing line 4.

  • Event Type(s): Book Signings
  • Genre(s): Fiction, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction